Holding mechanism



.May 6, 1958 A. R. POTTERN HOLDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 11, 1957 1N VEN TOR.

HOLDING MECHANISM Alvin R. Pottern, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, Mass, a corporation Application February 11, 1957, Serial No. 639,476

1 Claim. (Cl. 45-131) This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in furniture having a top or lid hinged thereto for swinging to angular positions, and is directed more particularly to improvements in mechanism for releasably holding or locking said top in angular positions of adjustment.

The principal object of the invention is directed to the provision of mechanism for releasably locking a top in an angular position relative to a support, and is constructed and arranged for easy and ready operation.

Tables, cabinets and the like for students, draftsmen, artists and the like are commonly provided with tops or boards for positioning angularly. The mechanism of the invention is adapted to enable the top to be positioned by the user, angularly as may be desired.

The mechanism of the invention, while comparatively simple in its form, is characterized by means which are readily and easily operable to lock the top in the desired position or to unlock it for movement to a different position.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the mechanism, within the scope of the invention, to adapt it to various articles of furniture. The novel features of the invention will be described in connection with the form thereof, presently preferred, with reference to the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an article of furniture having a top swingable relative to a support and with the novel holding or locking mechanism of the in- I vention associated therewith;

v of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a partial front elevational and vertical sectional view of the lever of the mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the novel features of the invention will be fully described.

A drawing or art table is indicated by 2, in Fig. l, and includes a support 4 having a top or lid 6, which is hinged at 8 to a longitudinal forward edge of the support. The top or lid is hinged for swinging, so that it may be positioned angularly relative to the support, as shown.

The novel adjustable mechanism of the invention may be used with other forms of furniture or equipment having a swingable top or lid member.

A supporting rod 12 is pivoted to the top member 6 by means of a bracket 14 secured to the top for swinging on an axis parallel to the axis of swinging of the top between its position on the support and an angular position relative thereto.

The support shown has at opposite ends upper and lower transverse members such as 16 and 18, legs 20, and longitudinal members (not shown), all secured together to provide a rigid support for the swingable top or lid.

A bolt or screw 22 has an inner end portion secured Unit! 5 tent ice to the support, or to the upper member 16 thereof, as shown. A rod engaging lever 24 is swingable on the outer end 23 of said bo1t 22.

The lever 24 has vertically spaced upper ledge and lower'lip portions 26 and 28 respectively forming a pocket 30 therebetween. The upper ledge is provided with a hole 32 therethrough for the rod 12 which extends through said hole 32 with a rather loose fit in unlocking position of the lever. The lower lip portion 28 of the bolt is provided with a slot 34 in which the rod is free.

A friction member 36 is provided which frictionally engages the rod. Said member 36 is restrained within the pocket 30 of the lever, and is preferably formed from a plastic material, such as nylon or the like, and is split longitudinally, as shown. The member 36 and rod 12 are so related thatthe rod may be manually pushed or pulled through said member.

With the top '6 in an angular position, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight thereof urges the rod 12 and member 36 downwardly. The member 36 is in frictional engagement withthe rod acts on the lip 28 of the lever 24 to urge said lever downwardly or clockwise, whereby the axis of the hole 32 and the longitudinal axis of the rod 12 are out of alignment, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the position of the lever shown, opposite sides of the hole 32 at opposite ends thereof engage or grip opposite sides of the rod 12 to hold the rod against downward movement. Thereby the top is releasably held or locked in its angular position by relative canting of the rod and hole of the lever.

To reduce the angle of the top, or to lower it, the lever 24 is lifted counterclockwise as by grasping an end grip portion 25 provided thereon. Lifting of the lever aligns the hold 32 of the lever with the rod. The fric tional engagement of the member 36 and rod is such that the rod may be moved through said member 30 by pressing down on the top or rod.

Thus with the axis of the hole 32 and the longitudinal axis of the rod 12 in alignment, the rod may be moved longitudinally through the hole and member 36 for raising or lowering the top. The frictional engagement of the rod 12 and member 36 is such that when the top and lever are released, the weight of the top causes said member 36 to act on the lever to bring about releasable gripping of the rod by the hole 32 of the lever whereby the top may be releasably locked or held in a desired position.

An abutment in the form of a nut 12 is provided on the lower end of rod 12. This is arranged to limit upward movement of the lid or top 6 relative to the support. On removal of the nut the rod may be drawn through the lever 24 for replacement of the member 36, or for other purposes.

The mechanism is easily and quickly manipulated to releasably lock and hold the rod and thereby the top in adjusted or angular positions.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the form of the mechanism to adapt to various articles of furniture and the like, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is desired to be limited, if at all, by the appended claim, rather than by the foregoing description of the present preferred form of the invention.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

Mechanism for use with an article of furniture or the' like having a top member and hinged connections between one edge of said top and a support provided with an upper horizontal upper side for swinging of said top to adjusted positions angularly relative to said horizontal upper side comprising, a bracket for securement to said top at a point thereof away from said hinged con- 3 nections; an elongated rod pivotally connected at its upper end to said bracket having a lower free end for extending vertically downwardly from said bracket, a

pivot member for securing to said support below the horizontal side thereof on an axis 'parallel to the pivotal connection of said rod, an elongated leve'r having an'inner end pivoted on said pivot member for swinging ofthe outer free end thereof between lower rod holding and upper rod releasing positions, the outer free end of'the lever provided with an upper ledge and a lower lip spaced downwardly therefrom to provide a pocket therebetween, said ledge and lip provided with an opening and a slot respectivelyfor the free end of said rod, and'a'friction member for disposition in said pocket adapted 'to slide along and frictionally engage the free endlof said red 'for positioning. thereof in adjusted positions along said rod, said slot inthe lip of said lever being arranged for free sliding movements of the rod therethrough, said opening in the ledge of the lever being slightly larger than said rod and arranged whereby in relatively slight downward movement of the rod the friction member in the pocket of the lever acts on the lip thereof to swing the outer end of the lever downwardly to rod holding position wherein opposite sides of the opening in the ledge engage opposite sides of the rod to hold it against further downward movement, said lever provided with a manually engageable member for swinging the outer end thereof to rod releasingiposition whereby said rod is released by the sides of said opening for movement of said rod relative to said opening and friction member. 

